It was established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1968. It is home to the largest number of the population of Al Gharbia compared to its other cities. Because of the great appreciation for the love and deep commitment of the Bedouin residents to their homeland, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan established this city which reflects today the old traditions in a green area of boulevards lined with trees, a growing community, and beautiful modern buildings such as the mall, high colleges of technology, and government departments. Madinat Zayed is experiencing a continuous rapid growth in light of the amounts already invested in the region. it is also worth mentioning that the city’s football club team competes in the UAE Premier League and attracts large number of fans.

The city has the largest hospital in Al Gharbia, and it is still subject to major expansions to include a new section for accidents, emergency, a dental center and VIP suites.

It is worth mentioning that Madinat Zayed is being equipped to become a center for the largest solar power station in the world with an area exceeding 2.5 km and a capacity to generate over 100 megawatts of electricity. This will spare the city 170,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually or the equivalent of planting 1.5 million trees or exclusion of 150,000 vehicles from the streets of Abu Dhabi. Although it is still in the early stages of development, Madinat Zayed is already paving the way for other cities to follow it in its environment-friendly steps. One of the main attractions in the capital is the camel racetrack. Though races are not held except during winter months in the south of the city, the region receives a great number of citizens and residents who come from everywhere in the UAE for recreation and entertainment in Al-Dhafra Camel Festival in January and February.